Drying apparatus for clothes



(N0 Mod'l.)

H SCHBNGK. DRYING APPARATUS POR CLOTHES.

N0.'558,423. PatentedApr. 14; 1896.

fige.

I.. .5 aiv 9 T FI 1 f5 :i 4 y ill WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

HENRY SCHENCK, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRYING APPARATUS FOR CLOTHES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 558,423, dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed November 16 1895. Serial No. 569,148. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SCHENCK, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Drying Apparatus for Clothes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved clothes-drying apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the lines III III of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail view, enlarged, illustrating the manner of attaching the crosssupporting rods to the chain.

Similar numerals of reference refer to like parts wherever used throughout this specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in clothes-driers wherebyI am enabled to dry a large quantity of clothes or other articles in an easy rapid manner and in a very restricted area of ground-as, for instance, a small back yard, area-way, &c.

Referring to the drawings, 2 3 are pairs of lower and upper grooved wheels, the lower of which, 2, are mounted on a shaft 4, resting in bearings 5, secured to any convenient place-as, for instance, the side of a house. The upper wheels 3, which are of considerably greater diameter than the lower wheels 2, are separately mounted in similar bearings 6 on stud-bolts 7, so that there may be afree and unobstructed passage for the clothes.

Rest-ing in the grooves of the wheels and passing around them are the two endless chains 8 8, and at regular intervals, extending across from one to the other, are light rods or wires 9, secured to the links of the chain, as shown in Fig. 4, which act as supports on which to-hang articles of clothing, dac., to be dried, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

By reason of the greater diameter of the upper wheels it will be seen that, due to the inclination of the chain, the supported clothing may Overlap wit-hout touching, thus increasing the capacity of the machine by allowing the cross-rods 9 to be placed closer together.

The lower shaft 4 is furnished at one end with a crank l0 and ratchet-wheel lS, so that by rotating the shaft 4 and wheels 2 the chain will be caused to travel around the wheels and in its passage raising the cross-rods 9 and any articles that may be hung thereon. p The entire number of rods may be successively loaded and the machine may then be allowed to stand until the clothes are dry, or it may be operated slowly by the crank l0, thus aiding the drying operation. If desired, a pulley maybe substituted for the crank and the machine operated by steam or other power.

For the purpose of protecting the clothes from moisture due to rain I desire to provide a light covering or awning 16, hinged at 17, so that it may be folded up. In the case of a portable frame this covering may be made to extend on both sides and its size may be regulated by the height'of the frame.

Vhen the clothes are dry, they may be removed in a similar manner, when the machine is ready for another load.

In practice I prefer to galvanize or nickelplate the various parts of the apparatus, so as to prevent rusting and spoiling the clothes.

It is obvious that the wheels may be mounted on a light framework of wood or metal, and the same may be made portable, if desired, for convenience in moving from place to place. If it is desired to assist the natural evaporation in order to quicken the process of drying, it may be done by placing a steamdruin 1l between the series of rods, supported on brackets l2 outside,where they will not interfere with the chain, and for the purpose of utility the supporting-arms resting in such brackets and secured to the drum may be made of pipe, one of which, 13, may be connected to a source of steam-supply and furnished with a stop-cock 14, the upper pipe'l ,f

serving as an exhaust-opening to the atmosphere.

The operation of my apparatus is obvious.

It is simple and effective in its operation, cheap to build, and very durable and not likely to get out of order.

Changes and modiiications may be made in ICO its construction by the skilled mechanic without departing from my invention, since I do not desire to be limited to the construction shown in the drawings.

Having described my invention and in what manner it operates, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a drying apparatus for clothes, consisting of endless chains and cross-supporting rods secured to the chains passing over grooved wheels, upper supporting-wheels of considerably greater diameter than the lower wheels, substantially as set forth.

2. A clothes-drier consisting of a pair of lower grooved wheels secured to a shaft journaled in brackets secured to the wall of a building, a pair of upper grooved wheels of considerably greater diameter than the lower wheels, secured to independent trunnions journaled in similar brackets, endless chains passing around the upper and lower groovcd wheels, with cross supporting-rods secured to the chains at intervals, and a protecting-canopy secured to the wall, substantially as set forth.

3. In a clothes-drier of the' class described, the combination, with a pair of lower grooyed wheels, and a pair of upper grooved wheels of considerably greater diameter, of a pair of endless chains passing aroundthe lower and upper wheels respectively, connected at in tervals by cross-rods 9, and inclined outwardly by reason of the greater diameter of the upper wheels, whereby each successively higher cross-rod 9 is located outside of a vertical position above the next lower cross-rod, substantially as and for the purposes dcseribed.

4. In combination with a drying apparatus consisting of a pair of lower grooved wheels secured to a crank-shaft journaled in bearings secured to the wall of a building, a pair of upper grooved wheels of considerably greater diameter than the lower wheels, secured to independent trunnions j ournaled in similar brackets, endless chains passing around the lower and upper grooved wheels respectively, and cross supporting-rods secured to the chains at intervals; a steamdrum located between the chains supported in brackets secured to the wall by steam-pipes on each side of the drum at top and bottom, such pipes constituting, on one side of the drum, supply and exhaust pipes, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day ot' August, 1895.

HENRY SCIIENCK. W'itnesses:

J. D. IIERN,

M. CLARKE. 

